There isn’t a clear reason why Rickie Fowler should be under any greater pressure than Keegan Bradley going into the Zozo Championship final round if you look at their career paths rather than their Q Scores. Fowler, 33, has five PGA Tour victories and is attempting to win for the first time since 2019 as he leads Bradley by one stroke going into Sunday. Bradley, 36, has won four times in his career, with his most notable triumph coming in his first major start at the 2011 PGA Championship. (Truly amazing how long ago it was.)
Bradley hasn’t lived up to the lofty expectations that come with being golf’s most sought-after pitchman, and Fowler doesn’t have a trophy that size either. Bradley’s winless streak is also lengthier; it dates back to the 2018 BMW Championship. However, you won’t find writers or commenters discussing the virtues of his career or the causes of his abrupt decline.
So, in reality, it’s Fowler who has far more to lose in trying to secure the victory in the Zozo at Japan’s Narashino Country Club, while most Americans sleep off their college football hangovers.
“It would be amazing,” Fowler said of a potential win after shooting a third-round four-under 66 to get to a 14-under total. “Obviously, showing up here, we came over here to win. Last few months have been really good, starting to see a lot of positives. I believe I can do it, but like I said earlier, I know it’s going to be tough.”
Fowler knows as well as anyone the rigors of trying to close a tournament, because he hasn’t exactly had the step-on-their-necks success of a Tiger Woods. Fowler held the 36-hole lead this week, which prompted the statistic that he’s a horrible 1-for-10 in polishing off a halfway advantage. Then, as he maintained his margin heading into the final round, we were reminded that he’s 2-for-8 with solo or co-leads after 54 holes.
It was Fowler who recalled on Friday evening that the most recent occasion he was in this situation was last year’s CJ Cup in Las Vegas. He shot a 63 on Saturday, but faded with a 71 on Sunday and ended up tied for third, three back of winner Rory McIlroy, who closed with a 66.
